Positive Prayer for the Enemy

Our church has been studying Saul of Tarsus in chapter 9 of Acts, and Luke says in the Greek language that Saul was "panting" to remove all the Christians from the face of the earth. I interpret that in my vernacular as "foaming at the mouth". Does this sound familiar? ISIS is saying that very thing today, and we are fearful and worried for those Christians and even for our own safety here.

But, what Jesus did for Saul He can do for all of ISIS, all who threaten our safety and lives. Christ can change, in an instant, what and who we see as impossibly lost. I keep telling myself over and over that Jesus can "arrest" and "transform" the lives of those here in the US whom I consider to be enemies of the gospel of Christ and the thieves of my freedoms, and ISIS as well. I wonder if I would stop worrying, fussing, and even hating those enemies of Jesus Christ, and pause constantly to pray fervently for their souls, if Jesus would intervene and grab them to Himself. Of course He can! Our war is not physical. It's spiritual! Shouldn't we be "panting" as much and extraordinarily more, in fervent prayer for the salvation of these physical enemies? 

This story of Saul in Acts 9 is a great one on which we should focus in our world today, for it is one of the greatest reminders of what God can do in desperate situations, if we would just ask Him and trust that He will do it.

It's Personal

"'Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me; O LORD, be Thou my helper.'"  Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness; That my soul may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to Thee forever." Psalm 30: 10-12 NASB

This morning I discovered a major setback in my physical health, and I am pretty discouraged. As my husband Ron says, "It's always something with you." It seems like we can just get things in our life settled, and then something major happens to set us back. You all know that feeling, don't you?

But then, while doing my devotions, I was just overwhelmed with my precious Father's love for me.  A number of times it humbled me to tears.  He is reminding me that in Him there is a peace, joy and comfort that no disease, no evil power, no person can take from me.  He is mine and I am His....Blessed Be His Name!

My relationship with my Father is so very private and personal that no one can ever understand what this really feels like to me. The words He speaks to me cannot effect you in the same way it does me. He, and only He, knows what I need to hear.  The same is true in your relationship with Him. You can try to explain it to me, but the depth of it can never be experienced by me.  When you or I spend time with Him it's always private; it's always personal.  And best of all, He's always there, patiently waiting for us to come to Him.

Just as I am, broken and discouraged, I come.

My Worst Days

I have been at death's door twice, suffered terrible illness and great pain from physical wounds and surgeries gone terribly wrong. I have seen disappointments and great financial loss. I have lost family and friends to relocation or death. I have had days where I lost hope and saw little reason to continue on. But some of the worst days of my life have been those times that I have failed and disappointed the ones that I love and who love me.

Unfaithful

I spent last evening with another dog. I know. I should be ashamed, but she was such a nice and beautiful dog I just couldn't help myself.

When I got home it was late, and I was greeted at the door by 4 very suspicious dogs. They sniffed and they poked to the point I could hardly get in the door. I stopped to pet each one, but they all sniffed and looked at me with sad, accusing eyes.

"What have you done?" their eyes shouted. They wouldn't leave my side for a long time, and I finally vowed to them it would never happen again. They believed me, silly animals. But, oh. I feel like a hussy.

                                                             

                                                    

  

We've Got the Power!

4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Cor. 10. NIV

I have to apply this to my life daily, sometimes more than once. Followers of Christ must fight against what this world can do to us; tempted to hate, to mentally destroy, to use crass and vulgar language which can become one of the biggest hindrances to our witness. These can cause bad attitudes and pride in our own opinions, and we need to recognize how ugly these are to our Father. Pray and resist, and use the weapons of the divine powers with which we have been gifted.

Daddy's Lap

I didn't grow up with a godly father. He was angry and bitter at God for allowing the fatal accident of his son in a horrible farm accident and also the death of my sister soon after she was born. Words were never spoken by him in my presence, but my mother often tried to explain to me all the emotional trauma that he oftentimes experienced mainly through nightmares.  Many, many nights mom and I would hold him, rocking him in our arms, crying with him, trying to comfort him after these violent interruptions of sleep. But comfort really never came for him.  The mental suffering of this haunted man was unimaginable.

Dad never went to church except for funerals.  He wasn't about to give God the satisfaction of thinking He would ever be forgiven for what dad believed God had taken from him. But mom and I were in church every Sunday.  If there was any talk about not attending church my dad nixed that immediately.  He wasn't going, but he saw to it that we went.

However, my dad was the type of man in whose lap I was always welcome. Even as a teen, I  could climb up in my daddy's lap, and he would cuddle and love me profusely. He died when I  was 18, and for 19 yrs I  had no lap to crawl into. When I came to Christ at age 37, I  realized the love of my Creator/Father. My earthly dad had taught me that I would be welcome to climb up into my heavenly Father's grasp and bask in His loving arms.

Daddy wasn't perfect, but I knew his never-ending love for me and finally recognized that love in my eternal Father.

HUMBLE ME

I always try to look at all sides of any situation, but, often I find I have developed a pride about it.  Thank you, Father, for loving me enough to humble me and show me that too often I don't look at all sides at all, but I believe I know all the answers, and there is only one answer, and I have it. I pray that you will do whatever it takes to create in me a humble spirit. And, I will be careful to give you glory and honor in all that You do.  amen.